Diane Disney Miller, the daughter of Walt Disney and one of his inspirations for building his Disneyland theme park, has died at 79.

Ms Miller died at her home in Napa, California, from complications from a fall, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"As the beloved daughter of Walt Disney and one of his inspirations for creating Disneyland, she holds a special place in the history of The Walt Disney Co and in the hearts of fans everywhere," Robert Iger, the company's president and CEO, said. "She will be remembered for her grace and generosity and tireless work to preserve her father's legacy."

The eldest daughter of Walt and Lillian Disney said in later life that she remembered her father as a man who was caring and patient with his children.

"He'd take me and my sister Sharon to the merry-go-round at Griffith Park and stand there all day waiting until we were ready to go," she told the San Francisco Chronicle in 1998. "As he stood there, he kept thinking there should be more for parents and children to do together, and the idea for Disneyland was born."

Ms Miller also played a key role in the completion of the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, a project started with a 50 million-dollar gift from her mother. In 1997, she bucked project leaders like Richard Riordan, the mayor at the time, and the billionaire Eli Broad, who said Mr Gehry's firm lacked the experience to execute the plans for the building's unusual curved polished steel design.

At a crucial point, Ms Miller threatened to withhold the 20 million dollars remaining of her mother's gift if Mr Gehry was not kept on. "She was the turning point," Mr Gehry told the Los Angeles Times in September.

Ms Miller also founded the Walt Disney Family Museum, which opened in 2009 in San Francisco's Presidio, as a tribute to her family's legacy.

Her younger sister Sharon died of cancer in 1993. She is survived by her husband, Ronald, who owns the Silverado Vineyards Winery in Napa Valley, as well as seven children and 13 grandchildren.